14BDeferral of jury service

1. The Registrar may permit a person summoned to attend as a juror on an occasion to defer that person's attendance to serve as a juror to a time within a period that—

2. starts at least 8 weeks, and ends no later than 1 year, after the date on which the person is required to attend under the summons; and
3. is specified by the Registrar but lasts for at least 1 month; and
4. the person has indicated would be a more convenient period for the commencement of any jury service of that person that may result from the person having been summoned to attend as a juror.

5. However, the Registrar may exercise that power—

6. only in respect of a summons that is not a replacement summons under section 14C(1)(c); and
7. only once for each summons of that kind; and
8. only if satisfied, on a written application for the purpose made by or on behalf of that person, that, because of 1 or more matters specified in subsection (3), attendance on that occasion would cause or result in undue hardship or serious inconvenience to that person, any other person, or the general public.

9. The matters referred to in subsection (2)(c) (and in section 15(1A)(a) and (c)) are—

10. the nature of that person's occupation or business, or of any special and pressing commitment arising in the course of that person's occupation or business:
11. that the person has difficulties in understanding or communicating in the English language, so that they are not capable of acting effectively as a juror:
12. that person's disability:
13. that person's state of health, or family commitments, or other personal circumstances.

Notes

• Section 14B: inserted, on 4 October 2010, by section 11(1) of the Juries Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 40).
• Section 14B(2)(a): amended, on 14 November 2018, by section 144(1) of the Courts Matters Act 2018 (2018 No 50).
• Section 14B(3)(aa): inserted, on 14 November 2018, by section 144(2) of the Courts Matters Act 2018 (2018 No 50).